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She studies me. “Are you certain? I can talk to them if need be.”

Smiling, I nod. “Very much so. They’ve been a great help.” Wanting to steer this conversation away from the twins, I ask her about her research and where she’s been traveling.

We chat for about fifteen minutes when I see the back of a very familiar head.

Refusing to lose her again, I quickly kiss Mrs. Jacobi, promising to visit more often. Then I run as fast as my legs will carry me.

I turn the corner in time to see Farrah disappear into the girls’ locker room.

“Fah. Fah, wait,” I scream, but she just keeps running, exiting through the door on the other side.

Bursting through the door, I watch her disappear into the woods.

This is a bad idea, Evie.

But I can’t talk myself out of it. This is the longest I’ve ever kept pace without losing her.

I double my speed, pumping my legs until they burn. When I can finally make out her tattoo, I push myself harder. It pays off when I pass her and turn.

“Fah—” I freeze.

My face morphs into a range of emotions in the span of a millisecond. Shock… anger… sadness… rage—all boil in my gut as my last vestige of hope dies.

“Candace,” I shriek.

She cackles, “It took you long enough to figure it out.”

“Why?” I blurt before I can stop myself.

“You can’t be that fucking dense. You know why,” she hurls at me.

Clenching my teeth, I try to rein in my temper. “This is beyond fucked up, even for you.”

She ignores my jab. “I have to admit it was so satisfying to hear your pained cries. “Fah, Fah. Is that you? Stop, please.”She makes a piss-poor attempt to mimic my voice. “You truly are desperate.”

“What does that make you, then?” I lob back.

Arching a brow, she retorts, “Smarter than you.”

“Right, because smart people run around tormenting people by pretending to be my dead best friend.”

“It’s better than being the girl who killed her best friend.”

Her words slice through my heart because I am that girl. But none of that matters in this moment.

I’m at my wits’ end. This is what tips me right over the edge “You gutless, stupid bitch,” I scream, slapping her across the face so hard it makes my palm sting. “How could you pretend? Why would you even want to? You’re fucking sick.”

Blood runs down Candace’s nose, onto her teeth as she grins up at me. “Who’s the sick one here?” Her eyes twitch. “Who’s fucking her dead best friend’s brothers to atone for deserting her at her weakest point and causing her death?”

I launch at her, her body crashing to the ground as I topple on top of her. “You’re a twisted cunt and I’m going to make you pay for this.” I slap her across the face two more times before standing over her. “I can’t wait to tell Colt and Coop about all of your bullshit.”

Tilting her head, her smile widens. “Who do you think put me up to this?”

I blink, hoping it will improve my hearing, because there’s no way I heard her correctly. “Excuse me?”

Her grin grows before she responds, “I said, who do you think gave me the green light to punish you like this?”

“No… no. I refuse to believe this bullshit. They wouldn’t use their sister’s death like this,” I reason, but I’m uncertain who I’m reasoning for.